Here are some standouts among the ones that got picked for the 2019 festival:

The Cannabis Feminism Meet Up will celebrate “female entrepreneurship in the budding cannabis industry” and be an open conversation with Cannabis Feminist Jessica Assaf.

Can We Heal Ourselves From The War On Drugs? is a panel that “will outline the racist roots of the War on Drugs and focus on the instruments of oppression that persist today” featuring panelists from the ACLU and other advocacy groups.

The Politics of Marijuana: What’s in Store for Texas “will examine where Texas is at now and what a changing national tone regarding marijuana policy could mean for Texas,” featuring Eddie Lucio III from the Texas State House of Representatives, Heather Fazio from Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy and journalist Alexandra Samuels from The Texas Tribune.

Cannabis industry celebrity Steve DeAngelo will be a featured speaker, and there will be also be sessions on cannabis and aging brains, building brands, disruptive cannatech and more. CBD, California-specific branding and industry trends also get some stage time. For those interested in the more sensual side, there’s even Sex, Health and Cannabis. You can see them all for yourself on the SXSW site.

It’s encouraging to see the social-justice-focused sessions that made it through voting. Perhaps the public—and SXSW organizers—are getting hip to the idea that the industry wouldn’t exist without the activism that changes laws in the first place and that its important for legal markets to prioritize equitable access and ownership.

SXSW rocks Austin March 8 – 17, 2019.

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Chris Wallis is a filmmaker and content creator based in Oakland, California. Over the last six years, along with extensive work with the cannabis industry, he's helped international nonprofits, national advocacy groups and political campaigns tell their stories to hundreds of thousands of eyeballs across media. He watches a lot of TV and movies, often while consuming cannabis.

Rapper Redman Discovers 20-Year-Old Marijuana At Mom’s House

If you live in a state marijuana is legal, you might have already grown accustomed to having your freshly harvested cannabis sold in neat, child-proof packaging.

But 20 or so years ago, you were more likely to get something that resembles what rapper Redman’s mom recently unearthed: schwag stuffed tightly into little baggies.

In a video posted on Instagram on Saturday, Redman shared the discovery with his 1.2 million followers. He said his mom, who made sure the artist didn’t use her name in the post, found the baggies, which were still packed full of what he estimated to be at least 20-year-old bud.

“You gonna say not to use your name then say we’re selling it, mom?” Redman said.

One bag in particular—a triangle with a red symbol—”has history,” he said. It’s from an era of rap that saw some of the greatest marijuana enthusiasts: Biggie Smalls, The Lox, Cam’ron, Lil’ Cease, Norega.

“If you don’t know what that bag is, it’s from one of the east coast riders of marijuana,” Redman said. “Branson, baby. That’s an official Branson bag.”

No word on whether Redman tried to smoke the historic cannabis, but if it really is 20 years old, then it’s unlikely to be especially potent. So perhaps he’s better off holding on to the relic, or even donating it to the Weedmaps Museum of Weed—a pop-up exhibit that’s set to launch in Los Angeles later this year.

The Hertz social media team has to deal with a lot of questions and complaints on any given day. But on Thursday, the rental car company’s Twitter account heard from someone who was especially upset that the vehicle they picked up in California was “infested with the smell of marijuana.”

The person behind the Hertz account, who identified themselves as “JG,” apologized to the dissatisfied customer and recommended reaching out to its roadside assistance line for an exchange.

We are sincerely sorry to hear this. Please reach out to our roadside assistance team at this number 1-800-654-5060 and they may be able to arrange an exchange. Additionally, a nearby Hertz location may be able to help. -JG

Well, the customer, using the Twitter handle @landryandlee, had apparently tried that already and was asked whether the car was still drivable. If it was and they still didn’t want to drive it, the company’s staff reportedly suggested getting the car towed at the customer’s expense.

“To clarify, have you found drugs in the car?” Hertz’s JG asked. “Are you in immediate danger?”

To clarify, have you found drugs in the car? Are you in immediate danger?-JG

The customer was uncertain whether there actually was cannabis in the vehicle but said “I do not feel comfortable driving the car.” Worse yet, the customer’s son had a hockey game the next morning and “I have now spent my entire afternoon dealing with this and no resolution.”

Alas, as a member of the Hertz social media team whose job generally requires them to defer complaints to employees who can handle the situation, JG informed the customer that they “cannot assist further.”

We apologize. We as the social media team cannot assist further. If you did indeed find marijuana in the vehicle please document it, remove it, and contact the authorities if you feel it's actually necessary. If you are not in any immediate danger, please follow the advice. -JG

“If you did indeed find marijuana in the vehicle please document it, remove it, and contact the authorities if you feel it’s actually necessary,” the Hertz account replied. “If you are not in any immediate danger, please follow the advice.”

The customer did not find the advice helpful.

“You really cannot help me?” @landryandlee wrote. “All I want is my rental car to be replaced….how can a rental car company not take care of this???”

Hertz’s JG got props from some marijuana enthusiasts on Twitter for the chill response to what seemed to be a relatively benign situation. And one jokester followed up on the threat to ask JG whether it was possible “to have my next rental pre-loaded with pre-rolls?”

And the chill-as-always JG replied, asking the Twitter user to “DM us with your reservation number” and also “clarify your question.”

Please DM us with your reservation. number. Can you also clarify your question. — JRG